2019 Moorilla Muse Syrah, Tasmania

Deep crimson with aromas of dark plum, blackberry and dark cherry fruits alongside hints of baking spices, cedar, crushed herbs, black pepper, roasting meats, violets, crushed rock and pan juices. Lots to like here. Earthy, resonant, pure dark fruits, some nice minerally crunch and an energetic line with layers of spice and earth as the wine slowly fades. It's lovely. Drink to 2036.

95 points Dave Brookes for Halliday Wine Companion, October 2024

Quite a deep purple, still youthful in the glass. Aromas of dried berries, mushroom, leather and white pepper highlight its savoury style. Fresh acidity lifts the palate, finishing with firm, grippy tannins. Even more lovely with some air. Drink to 2028.

93 points Melissa Moore for The Real Review, November 2025

The 2019 Muse Syrah is a blend of 1995 and 2009 planted vines in the St Matthias vineyard in northern Tasmania’s Tamar Valley. The fruit was destemmed, with a small amount of stems included in the ferments that started 50/50 with cultivated and endemic vineyard yeasts. The wine was pressed after three weeks on skins and matured for eighteen months in French oak barrels of which 22% were new. The parcels were then blended, fined and filtered in preparation for bottling which took place in October 2020.

About this producer

Moorilla was established in 1958 by Claudio Alcorso, making it one of Tasmania's oldest vineyards and a genuine pioneer of cool-climate viticulture in the state. The estate expanded to the St Matthias Vineyard on the western banks of Tamar River in later years, and it is from this site that this wine draws fruit from. The east facing slope features loamy clay soils with high rock content and benefits from the long, cool ripening conditions of northern Tasmania. The vineyard produces aromatic grapes of real precision and mineral clarity, perfect for Moorilla winemaker Conor van der Reest who favours subtle complexity and structure in his wines.